Team brings sparkle to festivities in hospital!
TRUST TEAM TRIES TO ENSURE EVERYONE GETS A GLIMPSE OF MAGIC
PATIENTS and visitors at Nottingham’s hospitals will have noticed their exterior festive lights – and, of course, the mammoth Christmas tree outside the city’s Queen’s Medical Centre.
But the Christmas spectacle doesn’t end there.
In fact, Nottingham University Hospital’s (NUH) Estates team begins its festive preparations as early as September, explain Mike Soroka and Clare Lewin, two leading members.
The team members juggle their usual work responsibilities alongside decorating the outside of QMC, which includes snowflake lights on its perimeter lampposts and a Christmas tree with more trees also outside the University of Nottingham Medical School, the Urgent Treatment Centre and City Hospital.
While the lights make the building appear festive, the purpose is not merely superficial.
The intentions behind the decorations is to ensure everyone from inside the QMC can simply peer out any window and see a sign of Christmas.
“We’ve done it on the back of some of the comments on social media,” said Mike.
“When some of the staff come off a 12-hour night shift and it’s been a particularly bad day, they see the tree and they put some lovely comments on social media.
“Actually that does spur us on to make it as nice as we can for the staff.
“Over the last 18 months it’s been horrific for those working in the clinical areas.
“If I make one person smile in the trust it’s got to be worth it.”
Clare added: “That’s why we decorated the car park outside of the children’s ward, so the children that can’t move from their bed have at least got nice pretty lights to look at.”
As for the future of the operation, Mike says he only plans to expand it, and adds that there could be a permanent Christmas tree outside the QMC from next year.
“So we’ve got plans to plant a tree on the mound outside. I think that’s more to do with sustainability.
“We can buy a 15-foot tree and it will be there for years to come.”
The pair give much of the Christmas credit to Matthew Button, who gives up hours of his time to put up the decorations, and Nottingham Hospitals Charity, which has given more than £200,000 over the last ten years for gifts, treats and lights for the trust.
They also spoke of the dilemma of choosing which child in the hospital will switch on the lights for the QMC tree.
The boy who did the honours this year was a three-year-old who had to stay in hospital after a kidney transplant.
William, who was born with a kidney defect, was fortunately discharged before Christmas and is doing “amazingly well”, according to his mum,
Alice, who donated the kidney.
“He has never looked this healthy – he even has pink cheeks,” she said.
“He’s full of laughter and smiles and keeps pointing at his tummy and saying ‘Mummy’s kidney made me better.’”
It’s not just lights and trees that arrive at Nottingham hospitals at Christmas time.
Hundreds of gifts have been given to child patients across the trust, and the team will help prepare 16,000 Christmas meals for patients in hospital on Christmas Day. Barbara Cathcart, chief executive of Nottingham Hospitals Charity, added: “Nobody wants to spend Christmas in hospital, but we want to make the festive season as bright and cheerful as possible for those who do find themselves on a hospital ward at Christmas-time.
“Thanks to generous donations from our supporters, we’re so thrilled to have helped provide thousands of festive gifts and treats for patients and staff at Nottingham’s hospitals over the years.”